Top 15 Prospects Post WJC 2025

For the second straight ranking, Dvorsky maintains his presence as the top-rated prospect in the Blues organization. He has been off and running in the AHL becoming a point-per-game player and being named an AHL All-Star. Dvorsky also captained his team in the recent World Juniors and proved that Slovakia was essentially a one-man show. Dvorsky started the World Juniors hot scoring the first goal of the tournament but then cooled off a bit until the 4 point performance against Finland. Dvorsky has shown great growth in the Power Play. He has a bit of Ovechkin in him, finding a spot on the ice and staying there the entire Power Play. His projection target was based on what Zach Bolduc got his first year in Springfield and Dvorsky is destroying them. Would not be surprised if Dvorsky gets called up to the main roster if the Blues trade a player like Saad but just have to wait and see.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

YES

RTTN

AHL - 58GP 12G 23A 35P +2

EP Projections

AHL - 68GP 28G 25A 53P

2: (RW) Jimmy Snuggerud [2]

Age 20 - Height 6’2’’ - Weight 187lbs

Nation - USA

Current Team - U. Of Minnesota (NCAA)

Stats:

NCAA: 22GP 11G 17A +10

Summary:

Snuggerud decision to come back to college was a surprise for some. It seemed as if there was a tremendous amount of support from Blues fans and management to come to the organization and the Gophers down year (missing out on the final four) combined with Snuggerud bad stats in 2023/24 made it very clear to most that the best decision for Snuggerud would be to come to Springfield. But this was not the path Snuggerud wanted to go. With a rejuvenated roster, Snuggerud has had a massive uptick in stats and has led the Gophers to currently being the third-best team in the nation. Snuggerud currently has 28 points in 23 games and is on pace to easily beat his 34-point line from last year. RTTN projection coming into this year was for Snuggerud to be a point-per-game type player. It seems as if he will hit this mark, the question now becomes can he surpass his highest point year of 2022/23 when he got 50 points in a season in which Minnesota lost the National Championship?

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

YES

RTTN

NCAA - 40GP 23G 19A +5

EP Projections

NCAA - 40GP 22G 34A +20

3: (C/LW) Otto Stenberg [6]

Age 19 - Height 6’ - Weight - 187lbs

Nation - Sweden

Current Team - Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)

Stats:

SHL: 25GP 3G 3A -7

WJC20 - 7GP 3G 8A +4

Summary:

This has been a very weird couple of weeks for Stenberg to say the least. Stenberg was the forgotten first-rounder coming into the World Juniors and came out of it being the one on everyone's minds. His speed and willingness to shoot were just a few things that caught the attention of Blues fans. His stats should’ve honestly been higher than what they actually were with plenty of crossbars, tremendous goalie saves, and teammates going offsides being some of the few things that prevented Stenberg from finding the back of the net more. As good as his WJC was, Stenberg had a rocky SHL livelihood. He seemed to be in the same in the same boat as Dvorsky was last year, struggling for playing time and only getting the bottom 6 minutes. Like Dvorsky, Stenberg is en route to North America where he will seemingly be joining Dvorsky in Springfield. This increase in playing time should prove if Stenberg is truly the 3rd best prospect in the Blues organization, or if he should be moved back to his original spot.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

Not Really

RTTN

SHL - 50GP 6G 14A 20P -2

SHL - 46GP 6G 6A 12P -13

4: (D) Adam Jiricek [3]

Age 18 - Height 6’2’’ - Weight 179lbs

Nation - Czechia

Current Team - Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Stats:

OHL: 7GP 2G 1A +6

WJC20: 7GP 5A +2

Summary:

Jiricek season got off to a rocky start. A few games after getting healthy and starting a few games as Brantford’s top-line defender, Jiricek was once again hurt and missed the next few weeks. Due to injury, Jiricek was not included on Czechia initial roster for the World Juniors. Jiricek was able to get healthy right before the tournament began and was able to join his Czech teammates in Ottawa. Jiricek showed that he has the potential to be an elite playmaker, setting up game-winning goals throughout the tournament and showing that he can hold his own on the defensive side of the ice. Jiricek has returned to Brantford showing continuous improvements in defense. I would like to see some more improvements in his assist rate simply due to his WJC performance but other than that, just stay healthy Jiricek.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

YES

RTTN

OHL - 40GP 5G 25A +7

OHL - 36GP 10G 5A 15P +31

5: (D) Theo Lindstein [4]

Age 20 - Height 6’ - Weight 192lbs

Nation - Sweden

Current Team - Brynas IF (SHL)

Stats:

SHL: 23GP 2G 2A +5

WJC20: 7GP 4A +1

Summary

Theo Lindstein made a name for himself last World Juniors showcasing his offensive mindset and being named to the WJC all-tournament team. This was not the same Lindstein that played in the most recent World Juniors tournament and that is not the worst thing in the world. Sweden already had plenty of offensive-minded defencemen like Sandin-Pellika so Lindstein decided to be a much more conservative and defensively minded player making multiple great plays on the defensive side of the ice. The offense was still there for Lindstein as well setting up Stenberg on a few of his goals, just not as prominent. In terms of his SHL performances, he is hitting very similar stats to what I projected at the beginning of this year and he has been and is getting decent minutes every game (about 12 minutes). Lindstein wants to come to North America next year but it appears that he will stay stranded in Sweden until the Fall of 2026

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

On Target

RTTN

SHL - 50GP 3G 7A 10P +10

SHL - 44GP 4G 4A 8P +10

6: (C/W) Zach Bolduc [5]

Age 21 - Height - 6’ - Weight 187lbs

Nation - Canada

Current Team - St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Stats:

35GP 5G 8A +9

Summary

Bolduc barely squeezes into these rankings staying under the 72 NHL games played threshold but this will be his final rankings. The former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to the top 6 potential yet, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had a good season. Bolduc appears to have found a home on the third line and has had some great pairings this season with Toropchenko and Holloway. I expected Bolduc to be sent down by now but it seems he is here to stay. Bolduc has a shot, to say the least, and he has improved in the playmaking area. Will Bolduc ever be able to crack into the top 6? With the promotion of Dvorsky and Stenberg coming soon and the emergence of Dylan Holloway, I doubt it. But, I will not complain if Zach Bolduc is a long-time consistent middle 6 forward. Hopefully, he reaches a double-digit goal tally by the end of this season.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

YES (Staying in the NHL)

RTTN

NHL - 30GP 8G 6A 14P +2

AHL - 30GP 13G 17A 30P +3

NHL - 75GP 11G 17A 28P +19

7: (D) Colin Ralph [7]

Age 19 - Height 6’5’’ - Weight 227lbs

Nation - USA

Current Team - St. Cloud State (NCAA)

Stats:

NCAA - 17GP 1G 3A +1

WJC20 - 7GP 1A

Summary:

The transition from high school to college is very tough for most. It's even tougher for defensemen. However, at 6 foot 5 inches, Ralph appears to already have a college frame and he has been an incredible addition to St. Cloud being a reliable force on the back end. Ralph was even able to put up an impressive win over Snuggerud’s Gophers at the beginning of this season. His solid performance throughout the year earned Ralph a call-up to the World Juniors, something no one expected coming into this year. Although Ralph only was used in third-line minutes, averaging 10 minutes a game, experience in that setting is always worthwhile and shows the impressions Ralph has made throughout the season. Defensemen take time to develop so don’t expect much out of Ralph for a while but he has had steps in the right direction. Hopefully, Ralph will be playing a top 4 role in next year's tournament.

8: (W/C) Aleksanteri Kaskimaki [15]

Age 20 - Height 6’ - Weight 192lbs

Nation - Finland

Current Team - Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)

Stats:

AHL: 30GP 6G 16A

Summary:

Coming into this season, I had Kaskimaki as my last player in for these rankings. Although he did not have the greatest stats in Liiga, he did have a very good World Juniors setting screens and doing the dirty work for Finland and I expected him to make somewhat of an impact in his first season of the AHL but nothing significant only getting a middle 6 role. Now, Kaskimaki is one of the best players on the team winging the top line. So what happened? Kaskimaki's playmaking ability has significantly improved over the year. In Liiga last year, Kaskimaki only had 7 assists, now he has 16, one of the leaders in the AHL in that category. The only question for Kaskimaki will be if his success in the playmaking area is his own, or if it is thanks to being on the same line as Dvorsky. With Stenberg soon coming to Springfield, Kaskimaki might lose his top-line spot and be forced to play without Dvorsky. This will be a great test for whether or not Kaskimaki can still set up scoring chances for less lethal finishers.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

Destroying Them

RTTN

AHL - 65GP 10G 20A 30P +4

AHL - 71GP 14G 38A 52P

9: (D) Quentin Burns [NR]

Age 19 - Height 6’2’’ - Weight - 198lbs

Nation - Canada

Current Team - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

Stats:

OHL - 38GP 5G 22A +28

Summary:

The first new addition to the rankings, Quentin Burns has earned his way into these rankings. One of those guys who doesn’t have the stats that scream top-ten prospect, but that +/- gives you a hint as to why he is ranked this high. That +28 is even more impressive when you also realize Burns’ +/- last year was -19 on a team that is still a middle-of-the-pack OHL squad. Case in point, Burns has made the case that he is the Blues' top defensive defenceman. The one thing that kind of scares me about Burns is his penalty troubles. Burns’ is once again on pace to have his third straight year with over 100 penalty minutes. I’m willing to forgive this part of Burns’ stat line if the Kingston captain continues to impress on the defensive side of the ice. One last thing, Burns has also maintained his ability to set up plays having a chance to make 30 assists by the end of the season. Love to see a defensive guy having multiple impacts in a game.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections

Didn’t Have One

10: (W) Jakub Stancl [NR]

Age 19 - Height 6’3’’ Weight 198lbs

Nation - Czechia

Current Team - Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Stats:

WHL: 27GP 14G 23A +12

WJC20: 7GP 7G 3A +6

Summary:

Last year, the Blues had a breakout performer in the World Juniors by the name of Theo Lindstein. Now the Blues have another one in Jakub Stancl. Now Jakub Stancl having a great World Juniors isn’t something super surprising as he had a WJC moment last year knocking off Canada in last year's tournament. But no one could’ve seen Stancl ending this year's World Juniors as the top goal scorer. Stancl showed his sniping ability throughout the tournament being someone Czechia relied on during their bronze medal campaign. In the CHL, Stancl is on a pretty bad Kelowna team and wasn’t much of a factor for them the first half of the season, especially with the team's leading players being other big names like Andrew Cristall and Caden Price. However, Kelowna traded these two making Stancl the top player on the team. So what did Stancl do in his first game as the top forward taking on the best team in the WHL? Just simply put up 3 goals and 2 assists in a Kelowna win vs Prince George. Stancl has come out of nowhere but his recent performance has forced Blues fans to question how high his potential truly is.

Are They Hitting RTTN Preseason Projections?

Didn’t Have One

11: (LW) Juraj Pekarcik [10]

Age 19 - Height 6’2’’ - Weight 205lbs

Nation - Slovakia

Current Team - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Stats:

QMJHL: 30GP 12G 23A +15

WJC20: 5GP 3G 4A +1

Summary:

Pekarcik is an interesting case. In terms of the World Juniors, it was pretty rocky. Pekarcik truly only had one good game, the final one vs Finland. In this game, he showcased an elite playmaking ability, especially on the Power Play. Besides that, Pekarcik looked fairly shaky making some questionable decisions throughout the tournament. He has been a formidable force for the Wildcats in the QMJHL. His goal this year was to beat Zach Dean’s first-year stats in the QMJHL and Pekarcik is destroying them. Pekarcik has also used his bigger frame to his favor this season getting in the way of a lot of plays. This is Pekarcik's first season in the QMJHL so not a lot of expectations but the underwhelming WJC was disappointing.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

Destroying Them

RTTN

QMJHL - 57GP 18G 28A 46P -18

QMJHL - 62GP 25G 48A 73P +31

12: (D) Lukas Fischer [13]

Age 18 - Height 6’3’’ - Weight 185lbs

Nation: USA/Czechia

Current Team - Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Stats:

OHL: 24GP 5G 11A -9

Summary:

Lukas Fischer has lost a lot of his behaviors this year due to his shaky start in Sarnia. However, I am still a believer in Fishcer. For one thing, Fischer is one of the youngest players current in any NHL system only born 3 days before he would’ve been forced into the 2025 draft class. Fischer has had nights in Sarnia in which he has looked like the best player on the team, and others in which he has given up goals that led to his team losing. Hopefully, consistency will improve with maturity but that is just something we will have to wait and see. The big thing for Fishcer this season was to improve on his +/- and for this, he probably will improve on his -27 he had last year. Fischer will probably also join Colin Ralph as part of Team USA D-core in next years World Juniors so something to look forward too.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

Slightly Less

RTTN

68GP 10G 35A -12

51GP 11G 23A 34P -19

13: (RW/C) Adam Jecho [14]

Age 18 - Age 6’5’’ - Weight 201lbs

Nation - Czechia

Current Team - Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Stats:

WHL: 28GP 9G 16A +4

WJC20: 7GP 2G 5A +1

Summary:

Last year, the enemy of Canada was Jakub Stancl. This year, that mantle was passed on to Adam Jecho scoring the game-winning goal that would knock out Canada with less than a few minutes left in the game. Although Jecho will be remembered for that goal, he also had a great tournament setting up Stancl on multiple goals. Jecho has also had a fairly good year in Edmonton being a pretty good playmaking forward. He is 8 assists away from surpassing his assist total from last year and is on pace to surpass RTTN projections from this preseason. There's not much to say about Jecho besides that. We will see what he does the rest of the season but all the numbers indicate he will be a bottom 6 forward in the NHL in a couple of years.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

On Pace

RTTN

WHL - 66GP 25G 35A 60P +5

WHL - 57GP 18G 33A 51P +8

14: (W) Ondrej Kos [11]

Age 18 - Height 6’2’’ - Weight 176lbs

Nation - Czechia

Current Team - Ilves (Liiga)

Stats:

Liiga 13GP 2G 1A -1

WJC20: 7GP 1G -2

Summary:

Kos by far had the worst performance in the World Juniors out of all the Czechs. But it does make sense when you realize he only got 4th line minutes. Kos has struggled the entire year to find game time in Finland as well only playing in 13 games this year despite being healthy throughout the year. Liiga appears to have done wonders for Kaskimaki so it might not be the worst thing for the Blues to keep him there, but its a bit concerning.

Are They Hitting RTTN Preseason Projections?

RTTN

Liiga - 40 GP 6G 8A 0

Liiga - 35 GP 5G 3A -3

15: (LW) Tomas Mrsic [NR]

Age 18 - Height 6’0’’ - Weight 170lbs

Nation - Canada

Current Team - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

Stats:

WHL: 34GP 23G 29A -5

Summary:

Probably one of the biggest surprises this year was Tomas Mrsic. Going into this year, Mrsic was expected to simply be a bottom-six forward on a dominant Medicine Hat team. However, a preseason trade sent him to a middle-of-the-road squad Prince Albert squad. This move has had wonders for Mrsic performance. He has gone from a bottom sixer to a top liner. One of the things scouts rave about for Mrsic this season is his goal-scoring ability on the power play being a WHL leader in that category. The only thing that kind of concerns me for Mrsic is that he tends to either have an amazing night or be silent. His size also scares me but hopefully he will grow physically and in his hockey skills as he progresses with Prince Albert. In any case, this trade has done wonders for Mrsic this season.

Are They Hitting Preseason RTTN Projections?

Didn’t Have One

Honorable Mentions

Zach Dean

His injury is not the reason he has dropped out but mainly due to the performance of others. Throughout this article, I have mentioned how others had better stats than Zach Dean in their own situations. Dean isn’t someone who should be forgotten about and would’ve made these rankings if Bolduc played enough games but it appears the top-six NHLer dream is dead.

Simon Robertsson

Another guy who struggled with injury this season, Robertsson has also had difficulties on the defensive side of the ice in Springfield.

Will McIssac

Probably the Blues' second-best defensive defenseman and the Blues' best right-handed defenseman, McIssac is just someone who needs time to develop more. He has had a good season though.

Colton Ellis

Springfield top goalie, another guy who simply needs more time to develop due to his position.

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